Family Honor
by Luvnot
Summary: AU - Paddy Doyle meets an old enemy in prison with a long memory and an old grudge. While neither man can get close to one another for personal revenge, there is more than one way to hurt a man. For Doyle, Maura is his greatest weakness. But Doyle has a ace up his sleeve - one that will not only protect his daughter, but perhaps bring her happiness as well. Rated T - M. M/OC & M/J
1. Chapter 1

**Prolog**

"Constance?"

"Yes?"

"Constance I need you to do me a fav-"

"Paddy? Paddy Doyle?"

"Just shut up and listen, please. I don't have a lot of -"

"Mr. Doyle I don't thin-"

"**Maura's in danger.**"

"W h a... ?"

"I need you to contact someone. An old friend of Maura's. I need you to leave a message."

"But how... why now?"

"I don't have time to explain. Just... can you do this?"

"Yes, of course. Anything! Anything at all! But shouldn't Detective Riz-"

"She can't know. It will only put them both in more danger. Do you understand? It's safer if they don't know. Just call this number, and leave a message that Paddy Doyle is calling in a favor. I was given a word of honor that I could collect on this debt, and it's time. I'm calling it in. Got that?"

"Yes. You're owed a debt of honor and are calling in a favor. Yes, I have it. Do I-"

"Don't say any more, or any less. Do you understand? That's all you need to do. Maura will be safe."

"And Detective Rizzoli?"

". . . hmph. . . . yeah . . . I suppose she'll be safe too."

**Chapter 1**

Detective Jane Rizzoli was in a cautious good mood. With Labor Day behind them, the city of Boston was behaving itself. Kids were in school, parents were refreshed from the summer vacations, and no one was yet stressed by the upcoming holidays that seemed to turn perfectly normal families into homicidal maniacs. Clearing her desk of long overdue paperwork and cold case files in preparation for a well-deserved weekend off, Jane felt a sense of accomplishment as she dropped the last file onto Sargent Vince Korsak's desk to sign off.

The older man pulled off his glasses and glanced between the detective and file folders. "That the last of 'em, Janie?"

"Yep! Done and done!" Jane sauntered over to her partner's work station with a pleased grin, casting a pointed glance at his last case file. The handsom black man looked sideways at her, light brown eyes narrowing in aggrivation. Ignoring the look, Jane perched her hip against the edge of his desk and held out one hand, fingers wiggling expectantly.

With a resigned sigh, Detective Barry Frost leaned forward to fish his wallet from his back pocket, removed a crisp bill with a pained look, and slapped a $20 bill into his partner's hand. "Least we know who's buyin' tonight," he muttered, putting his wallet away and yanking the last file from under Jane's butt.

Jane smirked. "I donno. Think you'll have time to make it tonight? Lord only knows how long it will take you to finish that last case's paperwork," she teased reaching over her own desk to pull her jacket off the back of her chair. With a dramatic toss of long curly black hair over her shoulder, Jane cast one last grin at her partner as she headed out the bullpen door. "I'm going to grab Maura and head out. See you at the Robber, boys!"

"Yeah, yeah. I'll be there," her partner's voice followed her as she reached the elevator. "_You better not drink all the beer!_"

Chuckling to herself, Jane stepped into the elevator and pushed the basement button for the morgue. She liked teasing Frost. He was a good guy and, she admitted, a great detective with good instincts. He had the kind of juice that would do him well in his career. If he kept his wits about him, and his lunch down at crime scenes, that is. Jane knew Frost was spending time in the morgue with the medical examiner in the hopes immersion therapy would help, but it wasn't easy. Frost had a kind soul. Overcoming his natural gag reflex at the sight of the violence one person could inflict on another would be a long, difficult process.

The ding of the elevator interrupted her thoughts, bringing Jane to the present. Down at basement level, she easing through the double-doors of the morgue, where she caught sight of the station's M.E., Dr. Maura Isles. Not for the first time the detective thought the black scrubs, sensible crocks and safety glasses made the otherwise elegant doctor look like a kid playing at doctor. Jane thought it was a shame Maura's wavy blond hair had to be tucked under a surgical cap and her svelt figure hidden behind the formless garments. But considering Maura was usually elbow deep in blood and gore, there was no way she could stay in the designer dresses and expensive heels the doctor prefered.

The detective spared a glance at the sheet-draped figure of an elderly lady brought in earlier. She must have passed of natural causes or Jane would have heard about her long before Maura got to her. _'Wish we could all go like that,'_ Jane thought to herself, glad the woman wasn't yet another victim of violent crime. _'If I am very lucky, the entire weekend will pass without a homicide,'_ the detective thought with a smile. She didn't dare wish for more, though. Jane knew asking for more than that would be asking for a miracle.

At the table, Maura finished the last knot on the victim's Y-incision. As with everything the petite blond did, it was meticulous and precise. '_A first class surgeon wouldn't have done a better job closing the chest_,' Jane thought with a fond smile. She knew it was a point of pride, and to no small degree, respect for the dead, that drove Maura to perfection. A drive that not only earned her the title, Chief Medical Examiner to the State of Massachusetts, but also the less celebrated title, "Queen of the Dead". Not that anyone addressed her friend that way anymore. At least, not within hearing range of the detective. Not if they knew what was good for them.

Moving into her friend's line of sight, Jane waited until she was sure Maura spotted her before asking, "Almost done there, Maur?"

Eyes that appeared more gold than green today glanced up, then returned to the stitches. "Almost."

Taking a pair of surgical scissors from the tray beside her, Maura cut the thick thread, placed her instruments back on the tray for sterilization, then offered her friend a bright smile. "You're down early. Done with your paperwork already?"

Jane returned her friend's bright smile. "Yep. And ready for the weekend! How much longer do you have down here before we can go?"

"I've just the paperwork on Mrs. Lowerson. It shouldn't take more than ten minutes tops. If I clean up in the gym locker room, I could meet you at the Robber by six-fifteen or so."

"Mind some company while you finish up?"

Maura's smile softened in gratitude. "I would like that, Jane."

As the detective followed the medical examiner into her office, Jane kept herself occupied studying the crazy knick-knacks on Maura's bookshelves while Maura settled at her desk to check email. As so often happened, the detective found herself marveling at the eclectic mix of cultures and cultural icons jammed into such a small space. While she could appreciate the crazy mish-mash of things in the room - from the african masks adorning the walls to the one-of-a-kind large red plastic 'guest' chair - she did wonder at her friend's taste in some things. It was one thing to have animal skeletons and old fashioned medical equipment scattered around. Maura was a doctor afterall. But that godawful chair-thingie? It was just plain uncomfortable. Why would anyone buy a guest chair that was so uncomfortable? Jane reconsidered that last thought. It actually made a weird kind of sense. The space did kind of describe Maura's personality: complex, cultured, and not a little uncomfortable.

At her desk, Marua suddenly sat up a little straighter, head tilted in a decidedly curious fashion. "Oh? OH!"

The doctor's outburst pulled Jane from her perusal of Maura's bookshelf to face her friend. The blond appeared stunned as she read whatever message was on the computer screen. Then before the detective could ask what was going on, a strange, delighted smile blossomed across her friend's face.

"Everything alright, Maur?"

Jane was surprised to see Maura blush before looking up with a nod.

"Oh yes. I just... uh... It seems a, ah... an old friend will be in town tonight and wants to meet." Maura glanced back at the computer screen, her smile mellowing to something warm and remonescent. "I haven't seen Bobby in ages."

The detective watched her friend's face as she continued to read the email. To judge by the waves of blushes that kept warming her face, her memories of 'Bobby' were good.

"An old friend, huh?" Perching on the edge of Maura's desk, Jane winked at the M.E. "Just how good of a friend?"

With another blush, the doctor waved one hand as though swatted at her friend playfully. But a heartbeat later, she admitted, "A very good friend."

Jane smirked. "Um-hmm. Have to be to get you to blush like that." Jane smiled at her friend fondly. It was good to see the doctor so happy. "So I guess this means you won't make it to the Robber tonight?"

Maura finally tore her eyes from the screen long enough to glance at Jane. Looking torn, the M.E. bit her lip and started fiddling with her ring. "I know I promised to go to the Robber tonight, but... I haven't seen Bobby since college and..."

Jane shrugged and offered her friend a half smile. "No, it's okay. I completely understand. It's not every day you get to see old friends." Jane lowered her voice suggestively and waggled her eyebrows, "Especially 'very good' old friends."

Maura smirked, blushed once more, but still looked unconvinced. "But I don't want my very good, 'current' friends to think I'm ditching them, either."

Jane snorted. "Please. I'm just teasing you, Maur. Go! See Bobby. Have fun! The boys and I can hold down the fort for one night."

The doctor held her gaze a moment, clearly studying her features for any sign of disappointment. Jane carefully kept her best poker face in place. Maura had few friends and Jane didn't want to be in the way of her reuniting with someone she obviously remembered fondly. Evidently, it worked because the doctor's smile eventually brightened. "Thank you." Looking back at the computer screen, Maura appeared thoughtful. "I suppose... I _could_ ask Bobby to meet us at the Robber? Kill two birds with one stone, so to speak."

The detective appeared to think about it, though she already knew she would say yes. "Yeah, sure. Why not." With a wink, Jane added, "Besides, I wanna see the kind of friend who can make you blush just from memory."

With a coy smile of her own, Maura did that little shoulder shake her friend found so cute before turning back to the computer to type a reply.

**Author's Note: **This story has been tumbling around in my head for months now and I've finally given in and decided to get it out of my system. I'm also sharing it, which is something I've never done before. Keep this in mind while reading it. I love creative criticism - that helps me grow as a writer. But this is _my story_ and it will evolve and conclude as I wish.

This is an old trope... nothing new here. While I introduce an original character into the mix, please be aware RIZZLES is the endgame. I want to see our favorite ladies get together. But I'm also going to play a bit before we get there. So hang tight.

This might take about 10 chapters or so, but hopefully I'll make the ride worthwhile.

~ Luvnot ~


	2. Chapter 2

_**AN:** A reviewer kindly pointed out that I can't spell to save my life (but in a much nicer way). This chapter is resubmitted to correct those errors. Sorry for the inconvenience. I'm off to work on Chapter 3._

* * *

**Chapter 2**

For a cop bar, the Dirty Robber was one step up from a dive. Decorated in dark woods, scarred tables and old vinyl seats, the bar had seen better days, but one would be hard pressed to find better company. Striding into the bar, her friend in tow, Jane grinned at the two men waiting patiently for them at their customary table.

"What took you so long?" Vince Korsak asked as Jane slid into the booth.

"Yeah, Maur, what took us so long," Jane ribbed her friend, then paused when she noticed the other woman hesitating by the table. "Oh, right!" With a shrug, she slid back out again. "Um, guys, mind if we switch sides tonight? Maura wants to watch the door."

Frost and Korsak traded questioning glances, but gamely slid from their customary spot to allow the women clear view to the door.

"What's up, doc? Gotta hot date?" Korsak gently teased.

Maura smiled tentatively. "Not a date, per-se. I mean, we haven't dated since college. Bobby's just an old friend."

"Bobby, huh?" Vince winked and the doctor blushed.

"A very _dear_ old friend," Jane added with a smirk, accepting a beer from Frost.

Maura accepted the glass of wine Frost slid over to her, then turned to give her best friend a dirty look. "Be nice. This means a lot to me. I haven't seen Bobby in sixteen year."

"Wow. Must have been some date if it's taken this long to ask you out again," Jane muttered with a teasing smile.

Her friend, however, looked hurt. "Jane!" With a huff, she leaned forward to confide, "If you must know, Bobby was the first person who ever made love to -"

"Woah! TMI, doc!" Korsak exclaimed pushing back from the table as Jane and Frost very nearly choked on their beers.

Maura looked surprised by their reactions. "What? It's not like I hadn't had sex before, but -"

"MAURA!" Jane exclaimed, forestalling more information with a firm grip on her friend's forearm. "Really?! We _really_ don't need details."

The M.E. looked put out, but subsided as Jane tuned the conversation back to safer territory.

"So, Frost, how long did it take you to finish that last report."

"Clearly quicker than it took the doc to get ready for her hot dat-Ouch!" Frost's grin quickly changed to a frown as Jane's toe found his shin. "Yeah, um. Not long."

As the boys allowed Jane to steer the conversation back to safer territory, Jane bumped Maura's shoulder with her own, casting an apologetic smile her way. Maura offered a half smile of forgiveness and sipped her wine. But Jane could tell her friend was a little off. Not in the typical, _super genius thinking about solving world hunger_, kind of way. But rather, _hoping her old friend would make a good impression on her new friends,_ kind of way.

But after an hour when Maura's 'old friend' didn't show, the blond grew more distant and worried. Three drinks, and a meal later, Jane was seriously starting to get pissed at her best friend's 'old friend'. He was two hours late. Beside her, Maura sat with eyes glued to the door, barely participating in conversation, twisting her ring nervously. With a sigh, the detective put a hand over Maura's to still the fidgety fingers. "Why don't you try to call again?"

"It won't do any good. Bobby won't answer while driving. Too great a risk of accident."

Across the table, Korsak pulled out his phone and laid it on the table. "We can call out a BOLO if you want," the older sergeant offered gently. He too noticed how distracted the doc had been all night. She was a sweet lady. It wasn't fair someone would make her worry like this.

Maura smiled in appreciation, but refused. "No, thank you Vince. I'm sure it's just traffic or-"

She stopped suddenly, eyes going wide as a huge smile spread across her face. "Bobby?" Before the three detectives had time to register her sudden change in aspect, Maura was up out of the booth and rushing toward a guy who just walked in the door.

The three friends craned around to watch as Maura fairly tackled a short, rough looking dude in motorcycle leathers and a large backpack. But instead of being bowled over by the M.E.'s enthusiastic greeting, the figure captured Maura in a bear hug and spun her in a tight circle. When they stopped spinning, the guy dipped Maura backward for a searing kiss. Instead of being horrified, the doctor giggled as she was gently set back upright, and clung even tighter to the shorter man. Jane watched in shock as, forehead to forehead, Maura and her old friend shared an intense whispered conversation that was punctuated by sweet kisses and faint tears. The detective doubted she'd ever seen Maura so openly emotional in such a public setting.

Korsak was the first to tear his eyes away, his old fashioned sense of propriety making him turn back around in the booth. Jane and Frost quickly followed suit, though Jane kept furtive watch over the shoulders of her friends.

"Wow. That's, um, some 'friend', Maura's got there," Frost commented, looking impressed.

"Geeze, really?" Jane muttered, watching as the two continued to make a spectacle of themselves in the middle of the bar. She was seriously shocked by her friend's uncharacteristic behavior. She'd never seen Maura so... giddy. It was like watching the normally reserved and refined woman turn into a fourteen year old school girl. While a small part of the detective found Maura's enthusiasm endearing, it was also more than a little unnerving.

After several uncomfortable minutes of watching her friend make a fool of herself over some short-ass biker dude that looked like a reject from _Mad Max_, Jane was about to go break up the mini love-fest when some brave soul finally shouted, "Get a room!" Sinking down into the booth, both embarrassed for her friend and relieved someone said what she was thinking, Jane breathed, "Yes! Finally!" between clenched teeth as Maura finally grabbed her friend's hand and lead the way back to the booth.

Despite her embarrassment, though, Jane couldn't fight a fond smile as she watched Maura practically prance back to the booth in her ridiculously tall heels, dragging her friend by the hand behind her. When they reached the booth, Maura pulled Bobby in front of her, hands resting proprietarily on the guy's shoulders like some teacher with a prize pupil.

"Bobby, I'd like you to meet my friends from work: Detectives Jane Rizzoli and her partner Barry Frost, and Sargent Vince Korsak," Maura said with a bright smile, "Guys, I would like you to meet my very old, very dear friend from college, Bobby McGhee!"

Bobby smiled and nodded quietly, face going pink under the layer of road grime at being the center of attention.

Jane's first impression as she slid from the booth to allow Maura and her friend to slide in, was Bobby McGhee was short. Like, munchkin short. In her customary heels, Maura could almost place her chin on top of the guy's spiky red head, while Jane felt like a giant standing next to him.

Jane's second impression of Bobby was the guy exuded an unexpected old-fashioned kindness and an understated calm strength as he silently waved her back into her seat and waited until Maura joined her before casually lifting a chair from a neighboring table to sit at instead. He was as strong too. When Jane offered to place the backpack next to her at the booth for safe keeping, Bobby casually lifted it one-handed over the table. But while Jane considered herself strong, she quickly discovered she needed both hands to accept the heavy pack over the table to settle next to her.

Jane's third impression as Bobby settled into the chair with a mischievous wink, was despite his good qualities, the guy just didn't fit Marua's usual dating profile. Maura liked her men well dressed, tall, dark and scruffily handsome. Bobby was scruffy all right, but only because he was covered in road grime. Jane was surprised Maura even let the dude hug her. His heavy leather motorcycle jacket and chaps had clearly been through some serious mud puddles. And his face! He was almost comical, looking like a reverse raccoon with clean patches where goggles protected his eyes from the dirt. And besides being short, the dude was as Irish as Maura. All pale skin, copper-colored hair, and boyish features. Jane supposed the red-headed Irish was to be blamed for the lack of proper scruffiness - red heads were notorious for their inability to grow proper beards. But while the boyish face was handsome enough, Jane just didn't understand Maura's attraction. He was just too short, too pale, too understated, and too quiet.

As a matter of fact, he hadn't yet said a word.

"So, I see you ran into some bad weather. Is that why you were late?" Jane asked, eyeing the mud that covered him head to foot.

Bobby nodded, but before he could do more than open his mouth, Maura elbowed her with a frown. "Bobby ran into a storm just south of Boston. The water damaged the GPS system."

"I thought motorcycle GPS systems had to be waterproof," Frost mused, watching Bobby curiously.

Bobby turned to Frost to answer, but once more, Maura spoke up before her friend could, "But Bobby was using a cell phone instead of a traditional GPS. The screen is easier to see in daylight. That's why I received voicemail when I called."

'Because the rain killed your cell phone," Korsak commented.

Bobby nodded, but was looking at Maura curiously.

Jane caught the look and wondered too why Maura wouldn't let her friend get a word in edgewise. Casually resting her head on her hand, she asked, "So Bobby, what brings you to Boston?" At her side, Jane could feel Maura start to speak for her friend once more and grabbed the other woman's knee under the table and squeezed. Jane captured Bobby's eyes and smiled sweetly, ignoring Maura's squeak. "I mean, this time of year is so unpredictable weather-wise, as you discovered. I'm surprised you chanced it on a motorcycle."

Blue eyes narrowed at Maura's sound of distress, but he finally had a chance to answer on his own. "I wanted to see the fall leaves." His voice was odd - light, almost musical. Jane wondered if he ever tried out for a boy-band in high school.

While Frost never moved, his eyes captured Jane's with a curious look. Before she could interpret it, though, Maura pried Jane's hand from her knee and glared daggers at her friend. "I suggested the trip to Bobby years ago. The leaves change color so quickly that timing is crucial. Traditionally September through October is prime time range for the best color, though the exact time-frame is not easy to predict. Elements such as rain and temp-"

"Oh yeah!" Jane interrupted, looking back at Bobby, "September through October is a long time to ride around, though. How long are you staying?"

Bobby looked between Jane and Maura, blue eyes narrowing at the doctor's obvious discomfort. "Depends on how long Maura can stand having me around."

No longer staring daggers at Jane, Maura turned back to her old friend and smiled warmly. "You are more than welcome to stay as long as you like. You know that."

The look the two shared was full of memories and shared history. It was the kind of silent conversation that spoke of shared secrets and inside jokes. It was a look that had Jane feeling slightly jealous.

To break the uncomfortable feeling growing under her ribs, Jane pushed Maura from the booth. "So... who wants a drink?"

Bobby captured Maura's hand after Jane brushed past. "Just a water, or some juice for me, please. I'm not drinking tonight."

Frost and Korsak exchanged looks as the doctor beamed at her old friend before turning to follow Jane to the bar.

Clearing his throat, Frost tried to capture Bobby's attention. "So... Bobby," Frost began casually, "You and Maura? She seems pretty enamored with someone she's not seen in sixteen years."

Bobby's eyes were still on the doctor where she stood with Jane at the bar, smiling in a way that was soft and wistful and obviously adoring. "Hmmm? Yeah. No... Uh what was the question?" Turning back to the two men sharing the booth, Bobby blinked in confusion.

"You guys seem like a couple, but it just seems funny that she's never mentioned you before," Korsak added.

Blue eyes met two sets of brown, studying them a moment before shrugging, unbothered by the observation.

Frost spun his beer bottle between his fingers. "You two met in college?"

Bobby nodded, eyes back on Maura where she was helping Jane gather several glasses and beer bottles. "Gross Anatomy."

"Gross anatomy? You studying to be a doctor too?" Korsak's bushy eyebrows rose in interest.

"Art."

Before either man could ask for clarification, Bobby stood to make way for Jane and Maura's return to the table.

"Why don't you take your coat off and stay a while," Jane said, setting a pitcher of beer on the table then turned to grab the glass of wine and Bobby's drink from Maura.

With a quirky grin, Bobby turned to Maura, head cocked as though asking permission. Oddly, Maura suddenly appearing very nervous, which seemed to amuse her friend highly. As the detectives watched, a whole conversation seemed to pass silently between the two, ending with Maura giving a little Gaelic shrug and a strong sip of wine. With a subtle head shake and huffed chuckle, Bobby slid the heavy leather jacket off and draped it over the back of the chair.

As Maura polished off her wine, she waited while the three detectives at the booth got a look at her oldest, dearest friend.

Frost was the first to recover, snapping his mouth shut into a genuine smile and nodded to himself, as though confirming a theory.

Vince, however, wasn't doing as well. "Maura, your friend is... you didn't say Bobby is... um... is a, um..."

"What the hell, Maur?" Jane exclaimed, sliding out of the booth to grab her friend's arm. "Bobby is a woman?!"


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

_"What the hell, Maur?" Jane exclaimed, sliding out of the booth to grab her friend's arm. "Bobby is a woman?!"_

"Wait! What? What do you mean a woman?" Bobby exclaimed in exaggerated horror. Pulling her shirt collar open, she glanced down, wide-eyed at her chest. "_Holy Crap! When did THAT happen?_" Turning to a confused Maura, she grabbed the doctor's hands and planted them firmly against her breasts. "_DOC! You gotta take a look at these! When did this happen? Am I allergic to something? Are they swelling? __**Am I gonna die?**_"

Maura's confusion was quickly replace with mischief as she realized what her old friend was doing. Taking full liberty with her friend's anatomy, she lightly squeezed Bobby's small breasts, before Jane grabbed her wrists from behind and yanked her arms to her side.

"**MAURA!**"

At the table, Frost was howling with laughter, while Korsak was red enough to look as though he might have a coronary any second.

And Bobby? Bobby just laughed. It was deep and heart-felt, but brief. Pulling Maura into a quick hug, Bobby caught Jane's eye over the blond's shoulder and winked.

"It's alright, detective. I'm called 'sir' all the time. Don't really care one way or another."

Jane stared incredulously at her a moment before turning back Maura. "You could have said something."

Once more Maura gave a tiny shrug. "I didn't think it was important."

"Not import... You let us think _she_ was a _he_. You said he... she was... that you... " Suddenly, Jane clammed up. Her eyes searched Maura's, alternately pleading and berating her friend for the deception. After several tense moments, Bobby could see the detective give up and accept the situation.

Taking a deep breath, Jane scrunched up her eyes for a count of three, fists clenched tightly by her side, then with a little shake, forced herself to relax. "You know what? You're right. It doesn't matter." Looking back to Bobby, Jane offered a slightly less forced smile then slid into the booth seat. Maura hesitated a moment, then slid in next to her.

"So... um... Bobby," Jane began, but Bobby held up a hand before the detective could say much.

"Look, I'm sorry, but I really want to step into the _Ladies_ room and wash up a little, if you don't mind. Hold that thought."

Jane's grimace slid into a slightly more honest smile as she acknowledged the playful dig.

Maura grabbed Bobby's hand before she could go. "Have you eaten yet?" The loud gurgle of Bobby's stomach answer for her. Maura nodded. "I'll order you some clean protein and healthy carbs."

"Do they have Caesar salads here?"

"Yes, I believe they do."

"A Caesar salad with extra chicken would be lovely if they have it."

"Of course."

With a nod to everyone at the table, Bobby headed to the bathroom. Part of her worried about leaving Maura alone like that with her 'friends' after such a shocking reveal, but the other part of her wondered why Maura never told them she was a woman to begin with.

The look on their faces, though. What an interesting range of reactions!

The Robber's Ladies room was a little two-stall affair, barely larger than a walk-in closet. But the soap dispenser worked and there were plenty of paper towels on the sink. Bobby sighed in relief to discover there was plenty of hot water too. The storm she rode through was brief, but left her chilled: the hot water was a godsend!

Taking the time to really scrub her face as well as her hands, Bobby studied her reflection in the dimly lit mirror. Oval face, strong jaw, solid chin, and straight nose were plain enough, but not ugly. With the right application of mascara and makeup to define her naturally blond lashes and eyebrows, and gloss to enhance thin lips, she might even be considered pretty. She'd been told as much the few times she bothered to make the effort. But without those feminine tools, she definitely looked like a guy. Her body type - wide shoulders, muscular arms, and stocky legs - didn't help the illusion, she knew. Add to that her preference for men's clothes, her natural aggressive walk, and short hair, and added up to a naturally androgynous appearance. It wasn't something she consciously set out to do. It was simply who she was. It was how she felt most comfortable.

Thinking back to various reactions of Marua's friends, Bobby chuckled in sympathy. The older gentleman looked like he was about to have a heart attack. That young guy, though, he obviously 'got it' first. He either knew soon after she spoke, or at least suspected. Bobby's voice was low, but not as deep and raspy as Maura's friend, Jane.

And speaking of Jane... _Wow_. Bobby loved Maura dearly, but she had to admit that the doc's friend was _hot_!

Not that there would ever be a chance in hell with the taller brunette.

In her mind's eye, Bobby analyzed the female detective's reaction. Body language read shock and anger. Her tone of voice said hurt disbelief. But her eyes... there was a glimmer of something she couldn't quite interpret in the other woman's brown eyes as she looked at Maura. Bobby _thought _she knew what that look meant. Thought she recognized the gaze as a distant cousin to one she'd had herself when she first met Maura. Which would hardly be surprising. Hell, who _wouldn't_ look at the doc that way? But there was denial there too. Bobby knew she would have to tread lightly there until she figured out Jane's level of interest in her friend.

Clean as she could get in a dinky bathroom, Bobby ran her hands through her short red hair one last time, cleaned up her mess, then headed back to Maura and her uneasy friends.

The booth was ominously silent when she got back.

Maura looked uncomfortable, but resolute about something. The younger detective... Chill? Snow? Um... _FROST!_... was staring at Jane like he had just finished a lecture and dared her to argue with him. The older guy... _damn, why couldn't she remember names?!_ ... was looking sheepishly at his glass of beer, looking guilty or ashamed. And Jane... well, Jane looked like she wanted to crawl under the table to hide. Bobby noticed the detective had a firm grip on Maura's hand, and also noticed when Jane let go as soon as she realized Bobby was back.

Curiouser and curiouser.

Maura smiled as she settled back in the chair. "You look refreshed."

"As good as can be expected for a minimal cat-bath. What I really want to do is soak in a tub of hot water until I prune."

"That can be arranged."

Jane looked up from tearing her beer bottle label to shreds. "So, do you know which hotel you're staying at while you're here?"

"Don't be ridiculous, Jane," Maura injected before Bobby could open her mouth. "She's staying with me."

Bobby opened her mouth, but Maura's golden eyes narrowed dangerously. "You. Are. Staying. With. Me."

Bobby shut her mouth with a snap and nodded to Jane. "... I will be staying at Casa Del Isles ..."

Jane's lips quirked at the corners as she saluted Bobby with her beer. "Nicest place in town."

They all chuckled while Maura looked pleased.

Korsak leaned forward over his beer. "So tell us how you and Dr. Isles met."

Casting a fond glance at Maura, Bobby let her mind wander back to their time in college.

"Well... We met at BCU in the gross anatomy class I was auditing."

Almost immediately, Frost interrupted. "Sorry, but I have to ask: what does gross anatomy have to do with Art?"

"Understanding human anatomy is essential for artists," Maura jumped to explain. "The better one understands the underlying muscle and bone structure of a body, the easier it is to translate it to paper or canvas. Did you know that until the late eighteen-hundreds, doctors and artists often hi body-snatchers to provide corpses for their studies? It-" Bobby put her hand over the doctor's much the way Jane normally would to quiet her friend.

Before Bobby could continue, a waitress set a large salad in front of her. Suddenly, her stomach cramped and growled in protest. _"Oh god! Food!"_

"So you're an artist?" Jane asked, clearly wondering if the art angle was what brought the two together. Maura's mother was an artist after all.

Pouring a generous dollop of dressing on the salad, Bobby shrugged. "Forensic and sketch artist. I reconstruct dead people. Give faces to those too damaged to identify."

Watching Bobby shove a large portion of chicken and greens in her mouth, Maura smiled fondly as she picked up where her friend left off. "Bobby's really quite the accomplished artist outside of work. But to answer your question, Jane, we first met at the BCU cafeteria. I was sitting by myself trying to both cram study time and food into my hour break when several other students joined me at the table."

Face growing red, Bobby stabbed her fork into the salad aggressively. "Joined? You were swarmed by a bunch of assholes."

"Language! They-"

"No, Maura. Don't sugar coat it. They were asses to you from day one. Don't think I didn't notice what was happening in class. Their sole purpose that day was to give you a hard time, and I'd had enough." Bobby stabbed her salad again, waving he forkful at the table in general. "I hate bullies and won't sit by and let them make someone's life miserable just because they-" It was Maura's turn to put her hand over Bobby's, visibly calming the agitated redhead. Taking a deep breath, the shorter woman continued. "Anyway... I chased them off so she could finish studying."

"She sat with me the rest of the semester," Maura continued while Bobby ate. "And always seemed to be there when things in class became a little... tense."

"So that's when you two started to, um, date?" Frost asked.

Bobby snorted. "Good lord no. I was too intimidated to even talk to her for weeks after that. I just kinda stuck around."

"You _hovered_." Maura looked sheepish. "And _glared_. I think I was more intimidated of you than you of me."

"Sounds like someone else we know," Frost commented quietly, tipping his beer with Korsak, both men looking innocently at Jane.

"Soo...," Jane interrupted. "How long were you two... er... 'together'?"

"Eighteen months." / "A year and a half." Maura and Bobby said together.

Around the booth, eyebrows rose in surprise.

"Wow, that's pretty good." Frost commented. "Why did you break up?"

Once more, the women answered simultaneously. "Career." / "I needed a job."

With a little laugh, Bobby went back to finishing her salad, allowing Maura to finish the story.

"After graduation, work took us to different parts of the country. Unfortunately, we couldn't find anything that would satisfy both our needs. Bobby didn't want to appear to be a free-weight, so -"

"It's either, 'free-_loader_', or '_dead_-weight', Maura," Jane commented, then looked apologetically at the doctor. "Which... is... _admirable!_"

Bobby pushed her empty plate to one side. "Yeah, well, admirable or not, it killed me when we had to go in different directions."

"We stayed in touch. But it was very difficult for quite some time." Maura added, holding her friend's hand.

Both women gazed fondly at one another, caught up in past memories and old regrets. The redhead's wide yawn finally broke the bond, and she pushed back from the table with a bone-crunching stretch. Around the table, faces scrunched in sympathy.

Maura gathered her things and stood as well. "It's late. Why don't you put your backpack in my car and follow me home."

It was more of a command than request, so the shorter woman acquiesced. "Yes, ma'am."

"Jane, are you coming over for movie night?"

The detective looked surprised. "It _is_ pretty late. You sure you still want me over?"

"Of course! We've stayed up later than this."

"Yeah, but Bobby..."

"I don't mind. I'll probably be asleep before you finish putting the DVD in the player."

Maura dimpled at both friends. "See. Do you need a ride? We could take my car and we could come back later."

"No. I'm good. I'll see you guys there."

Throwing money on the table, the group said their final good-nights and ambled out into the night.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Two sets of eyes watched the women, one short and blond, the other tall and brunet, enter the bar. One set of eyes darkly glittered, hidden behind the shaded window of a parked car. The other set watched closely from the safety of the Friday night crowd, anonymous, face shielded under the brim of a Red Sox hat.

The beauty of their blond target was acknowledged and admired. Deep blue sheath dress hugged generous curves, naturally drawing the eye of everyone around. The desire such a dress inspired was filed away for later consideration. There was a lot a man could do with a woman like that. The thoughts were crude, but not unexpected. Both men anticipated eventually... _meeting_... the beautiful doctor.

And both men calculated the best way to get her away from the taller brunet. She was the doctor's diametric opposite in every way that counted: tall, darkly observant, brash and dangerous. And seemingly constant companion. But the detective was a known obstacle - something to be handled carefully. Neither man wanted the entire Boston PD breathing down his neck. To be honest, neither wanted to be seen at all. But there were contingency plans in place in case of just such an event.

As with most endeavors of this type, waiting was the most difficult part. But while one man revelled in the anticipation of things to come, the other simmered in angry vigilance. Regardless of their emotional state, both thought of a dozen different ways to accomplish his goal. Planning was a universal time killer.

Neither noticed the arrival of the motorcycle, nor understood the significance of the rider. It was just one more weekend warrior out to relax and show off. But both suddenly took notice when the guy walked out arm-in-arm with their target and followed the woman home. Anger coursed through both men as tonight's carefully thought out plans quickly went by the wayside at this new addition to the equation.

The man in the car had the advantage when it came to following his quarry. The car proved to be a disadvantage in the Beacon Hill neighborhood, however, when parking became an issue. But the man in the crowd already knew where the woman lived. It was simple to take public transportation into the neighborhood and casually stroll past the doctor's home. But there were only so many times one could walk around the block before becoming conspicuous. And hiding places were few and far between in this posh neighborhood. People noticed when strangers loitered in doorways. But no matter. As the saying went, each man _knew where she lived_. They could come back later.

As Maura pulled into her driveway, she motioned out the driver window for Bobby to pull her motorcycle into the garage first. Next to her, Jane muttered at the size of the motorcycle in relation to the woman.

"If she were a guy, I'd think she was overcompensating for something."

"Jane!"

The detective chuckled. "Well it's true! That thing is huge, Maura!"

"Not really. For its intended purpose - long distance traveling - the Kawasaki Nomad is actually the low end of the spectrum for cruisers, though it does have a very typical engine displacement. I think Bobby added the fairing and trunk, which is why visually it is comparable to a much larger cruiser like a Yamaha Royal Star or Harley Davidson Electra Glide."

"Really? You would know that because..." Jane tilter her head, studying her friend fondly. Maura merely glanced at Bobby, then back at Jane with a dimpled smirk of her own. "So is Bobby the reason you knew so much about motorcycles and offered to help fix Frankie's bike?"

Maura's smile was rueful. "In a way, yes. Bobby may be able to ride them, but she's useless at fixing anything mechanical. After being stranded once on the side of a highway, I learned out of self defense."

"Hmm. So don't ask the motorcyclist for help. Duly noted."

"Be nice."

Jane merely laughed, grabbing the heavy pack from the back seat of Maura's car as the redhead in question peeled out of her leather gear and boots.

Pushing in through the back door, Maura touched Jane's shoulder lightly. "Why don't you get the movie started while I settle Bobby upstairs."

"Sure thing. My choice, or yours tonight?" she asked as Bobby took the pack and followed Maura up the stairs.

Maura smiled over her shoulder. "Your choice."

"Popcorn too?"

"Of course."

Jane grinned and turned to peruse the extensive collection of DVDs Maura kept just for her.

By the time she selected a movie, had the bowl of popcorn ready and was situated on the sofa, Maura returned downstairs and settled next to her. The doctor had changed into a henley shirt and soft yoga pants, her hair pulled back into a ponytail. It was one of Jane's favorite looks on the doctor. Thousand dollar outfits not withstanding, there was just something extra about Maura in casual clothes. She was softer, more approachable, and their conversations reflected the different feeling.

"So, is Bobby all settled?"

Maura hummed in acknowledgement, accepting the bowl of popcorn while Jane started the movie. "She'll probably fall asleep in the tub. I'll go check on her in a half hour."

"Yeah. Wouldn't want her to drown."

"Not possible. It would take a substantial level of inebriation for her to -"

"Joke, Maur."

Gold eyes flashed at her a moment, but Jane could see the humor in the crinkled corners. Grabbing the popcorn bowl back from her friend, Jane stuffed a handful of kernels into her mouth and chewed enthusiastically. Maura just rolled her eyes at her friend and they both broke out into laughter. As the opening sequence rolled, Jane playfully shushed her friend and settled deeper into the couch. The film was predictable, all tits and explosions and fast cars with periodic gun battles. It was mindlessly improbable, and endlessly entertaining. Just the thing Jane craved.

However, while her eyes were on the screen, her mind was focused on the blond at her side. Maura seemed... different tonight. It was subtle, and nothing Jane could identify on a conscious level, but different none-the-less. Obviously, the doctor was happy to see her old friend. Earlier in the Robber, Maura's worry about her friend being late was tangible. But once Bobby showed up... _wow_. Fireworks of happiness. The detectives were all nonplussed by the very public display of affection. It was a side of Maura they'd not seen before. But then when it came time to actually introduce Bobby to the group, the doc did that odd little song and dance that kept Bobby's gender hidden. What was that all about? Why not just come right out and say it? Was Maura afraid her friends wouldn't like Bobby because she was... what? A stereotypical motorcycle riding lesbian? Or was she afraid they wouldn't like _Maura_ for dating another woman?

Glancing over at her friend, Jane was surprised to find Maura staring into space, eyes focused on some internal memory. A secret little smile curled at the edges of her mouth. Jane watched as Maura's fingers lightly passed over her lips, smile widening then drifting into something softer, more private. When those same fingers dipped lower, caressing along the neckline of her shirt, Jane felt her cheeks heat at the intimacy of the gesture.

"Penny for your thoughts?" The words were out of her mouth before she could pull them back.

"Hmm?" Maura blinked a couple of times before she could focus on the present and Jane immediately felt like a voyeur.

"Sorry. Nothing. It... it's none of my business."

Maura smiled gently, reaching across the space between them to lay a comforting hand on Jane's shoulder. "No, I should apologize. I've been lost in memories and haven't been paying attention to you or the movie."

But Jane shook her head. "Don't worry about it. Looked like they were good memories."

"Some of the best." The sting such words might invoke were negated by the soft look Maura gave Jane. The detective could see understanding and fondness for herself in the gaze and immediately felt ashamed for her own jealousy. "Bobby was my one fixed point in an emotionally chaotic time. She was my _'Jane'_ in college."

"Your 'Jane' huh?" the detective chuckled. "What she do? Pick on you for your elaborate fashion sense and make sarcastic remarks at inappropriate times?

Maura laughed, then softened again almost immediately. Taking Jane's hand she squeezed, making sure her friend's brown eyes met her own. "No. Just like you, Bobby stood by me when I needed a friend. She protected me from those who liked nothing more than to see me humiliated. She helped me fit in. For a while, she was my family." Elegant shoulders shrugged, gold-green eyes asking for understanding. "And I loved her."

Jane swallowed the jealousy those words evoked, forcing her face into some semblance of an understanding smile. Squeezing Maura's hand, she nodded. "I'm glad, Maur. You deserve happiness." Holding Maura's gaze a moment longer, squeezing her fingers again, trying to convey just how much she meant what she said, Jane waited until Maura's face relaxed into acceptance.

With an internal sigh, she turned back to the movie, relaxing when Maura snuggled close against her side and seemed to do the same.

While cars dodged absurd obstacles and guns fired an impossible number of rounds without reloading, Jane pondered her own unreasonable reaction to Maura's declaration of love for her old friend.

Was she jealous? Why? There was absolutely no reason to feel jealous of some woman Maura knew over a decade ago. Where the fuck was the jealously coming from? She didn't feel this way about any of Maura's other lovers... did she? _No. No, of course not_. She was happy for Maura whenever the doctor seemed to find love. Or at least date. Too bad most of those men turned out to be losers of one form or another. Maura had the worse luck when it came to guys.

_But Bobby wasn't a guy._

Jane blinked at the little voice in her head. Well, duh, of course Bobby wasn't a guy. She may _look _like one... _but not in a fugly kinda way_, Jane admitted. More like that weird 'girlie-man' style that fashion industries loved. _Androgynous. Yeah, that's the word._ The detective repressed the urge to glance at Maura after using the ten-dollar word in her inner monolog. Androgynous or not, though, Jane just didn't understand what drew her friend to the other woman. She just couldn't 'see' her friend in a... a _romance_ with another woman, any woman. Could she? Really?

Maura shifted, looking at her watch before excusing herself to go check on her friend. The sudden absence of heat along Jane's side made the detective hyper aware of the direction her thoughts were taking. Could she understand the appeal of dating another woman?

_Um, actually... yeah. Yeah, I totally can._

And that understanding tormented her. Jane always admired Maura as a friend, but another part of her - the part she rarely acknowledged - also loved the protective urge that overcame her whenever the other woman was near. She loved their snuggle time together on the couch; the feel of Maura's soft body against her own was calming after a particularly rough week. Maura soothed her in ways no one else ever could. And it was...

_Wrong. It was a sin._

Jane almost shook her head to dislodge the subconscious voice of her Catholic school teacher that suddenly invaded her mind. Love wasn't a sin. Love was pure and sweet and worth more than the world when it came your way. Did she love Maura? Of course she did. Maura was sweet and kind and oddly naive. She was a rare, genuine human being. How could she _not_ love Maura? But was she _in love_ with-?

"Whatcha watchin' detective?"

Bobby's voice cut through Jane's thoughts like a knife, startling the detective just as badly as if she were actually stabbed. Jumping from the couch, Jane pushed a hand through her hair. "Um. Nothing. I kinda drifted there."

"You okay, Jane?" Maura asked, coming up behind her to rub a hand across her back.

The soft touch sent Jane skittering towards the door. "Um, you know, it's getting kinda late. I'm beat. I think I'll just head home, Maur."

"Are you sure? You could always stay the night. There's plenty of room in the be-"

"No!" Jane bit the inside of her cheek as she backed towards the door, trying to modulate the sudden squeak in her tight voice. She felt the heat of a blush across her face and pointedly did not look at Bobby. Grabbing her coat, she forced a smile for her friend. "Thanks, but no. I'll just go home. It's not far, and Jo is probably driving the neighbor crazy by now. I'll see you tomorrow, Maura. Nice meeting you, Bobby."

Jane barely registered the shorter woman's puzzled wave before escaping out the door. With a firm click, she closed the door, not only to block out Maura's old friend, but also her own thoughts and desires as well.

* * *

**AN** ~ This chapter was a bear to write. There are so many different ways to bring Jane around to understanding her relationship with Maura. I wasn't sure if Bobby's presence would be a sudden catalyst, or a slow burn. Somehow, it may be a mixture of both. I strongly believe Jane _wants_ to love Maura fully, but also believe one does not cast aside the tenants of a strong religious upbringing easily. It's going to be a struggle. But ultimately, I hope it's worth it.

Thanks for hanging in there and sharing this journey with me.


	5. Chapter 5

**AN -** TRIGGER WARNING in this chapter for assault and PTSD issues. Assault section is bracketed by "-0-0-0-" to help you avoid if necessary.

(updated 4/13/14 to fix some formatting issues and add notes to the bottom)

* * *

_"You okay, Jane?" Maura asked, coming up behind her to rub a hand across her back._

_The soft touch sent Jane skittering towards the door. "Um, you know, it's getting kinda late. I'm beat. I think I'll just head home, Maur."_

_"Are you sure? You could always stay the night. There's plenty of room in the be-"_

_"No!" Jane bit the inside of her cheek as she backed towards the door, trying to modulate the sudden squeak in her tight voice. She felt the heat of a blush across her face and pointedly did not look at Bobby. Grabbing her coat, she forced a smile for her friend. "Thanks, but no. I'll just go home. It's not far, and Jo is probably driving the neighbor crazy by now. I'll see you tomorrow, Maura. Nice meeting you, Bobby." _

_Jane barely registered the shorter woman's puzzled wave before escaping out the door. With a firm click, she closed the door, not only to block out Maura's old friend, but also her own thoughts and desires as well._

* * *

**Chapter 5**

Bobby stared at the front door, puzzled and a little disappointed by the detective's abrupt departure. Behind her, she heard Maura sink onto the couch with a sigh. Turning, Bobby took in the slightly worried, dejected look and she was struck with a sinking feeling. "Oooh. Shit, Maura. Did I... did I interrupt a date night?"

Maura's eyes widened in surprise. "Wha? No!" Hands fidgeting in her lap, the doctor shook her head, a sad smile on her face. "No. Jane and I aren't dating. There's nothing between us."

Carefully schooling her features into a neutral acceptance, Bobby settled next to Maura, twisting sideways against the arm to better watch her friend. "Hmmm?"

The doctor glanced sideways at Bobby. "No. Jane isn't... She doesn't identify as ... She's just my friend. My _best _friend. That's all."

_'Doesn't identify as gay, you mean?' _ Bobby sighed. The wistfulness of Maura's admission made it plain she wished she and Jane could be more. How could the detective _not_ fall in love with Maura? She was the sweetest, most genuine person the artist ever met. It hurt to see her so uncertain and downcast. She just wanted to grab Maura in a huge hug and hold her tight until the doctor believed once again in how much she was loved.

Reaching out a hand to her old friend, Bobby was heartened when Maura's sad smile lightened a little and she allowed herself to be pulled flush against Bobby's chest. The smaller woman cradled Maura in her arms, hugging her tightly until she felt Maura relax. '_Jane is a damned fool,'_ she thought silently. Instead of pursuing that line of thought, Bobby wiggled down into the couch cushions a bit more, getting more comfortable. Maura lifted slightly while she maneuvered, then snuggled back into her arms with a small sigh of contentment.

Placing a light kiss on her friend's head, Bobby closed her eyes and reveled in the feel of the other woman's soft body. "Ah, girlie-girl. I've missed this," Bobby sighed with a hint of Irish brogue.

An echoing sigh shifted the body in her arms. "Mmm. Me too. So much."

The plaintive sound in her friend's voice made Bobby's heart ache. She exaggerated the accent more. "Well, me girl. Rest yer head a while. I'll be here ta comfort ye for a time." Bobby was warmed by the feel of Maura's chuckle and wide smile against her neck.

Adopting an accent of her own, Maura replied in Gaelic, "Mo stuáilte álainn. Garda mo chodladh?" _(My lovely cushion. Guard my sleep?)_

"Seiteanna, chothaímid." _(Always, cherished.)_

The feel of Maura in her arms, warm body soft and perfect along her side, sent an overwhelming feeling of love and protectiveness through Bobby. Lightly caressing her shoulder, the artist wondered how she could have stayed away for so long?

For a brief time, Maura was her everything - her world - and they were happy, weren't they? _Yes, we were insanely happy_. But ever the practical person, when an opportunity for a job took her in a different direction, Bobby wanted to make the 'adult decision' and support herself. She would be damned if she let Maura pay for everything. The artist wanted to prove to the other woman that she wouldn't be a free-loader in their relationship; that she truly loved Maura for the wonderful person she was, not because she had a trust fund. Money was always a touchy subject between them, and Bobby had to admit, her pride was a huge obstacle in accepting help. Maura never once complained about paying when they went out to the movies, dinner, or bought supplies for their cramped little apartment. But it bothered Bobby. More than it should, honestly. And that was her downfall.

Never mind that the 'job' she left the doctor to accept wasn't quite what she expected. Nor did she expect to be as good at it as she turned out to be. That place still haunted her.

_'You're a natural, kid. I knew it as soon as I saw you.' _The old man's voice still rang through her mind.

Scary bastard.

Bobby brutally shut down that train of thought. Those were scary times that she couldn't afford to relive right now.

Instead, she focused on the woman in her arms. The familiar feel of her body, the soft cadence of her breath, and scent of her hair were a balm that helped the artist relax. It was perfect. Heaven. And if Bobby had anything to say in the matter, it was where she'd stay for a long time to come.

Feeling at peace for the first time in a long time, Bobby felt the ever-present tension slowly ease from her body, and eventually allowed herself to fall asleep.

* * *

Maura woke slowly to the soft rise and fall of the pillow under her cheek. _No, not a pillow... Bobby._

Snuggling closer, she smiled when the artist's arm tightened instinctively around her. Some things never changed. '_And some things have,'_ Maura mused, running fingertips across the hard plane of Bobby's flat stomach and chest.

Gone was the soft, slightly pudgy woman she'd known in college - Maura's 'cushion'. The layer of fat that used to hide all of the artist's strength was gone, and her muscles were now on full display. Maura was amazed by the transformation. She always suspected her friend would have an amazing physique if she would only eat right. And now... now the artist had become the art. Bobby was all sculpted lines and chiseled muscle. She had always walked with a confidence that rivaled Jane's, but now she fairly glided. And when she looked at Maura in the bar... a little thrill of remembered heat settled low in Maura's center. There had always been something in Bobby's eyes that made her pulse quicken. But now the artist was edgier, more guarded. More... dangerous.

Not that the redhead had ever really been 'safe'. When she first saw Bobby in college, she always seemed slightly feral, always alert and tightly wound. As an artist auditing medical classes, she was already an outsider on the fringe of the social order. However, those arrogant enough to try to 'put her in her place' quickly learned that she was not an easy target. Bobby had the unnerving talent of calmly looking at someone and, without saying a word or changing expression, make them believe she could break them in half. That hint of violence under the otherwise calm surface was enough to make all but the most aggressive jerks avoid her. It was that look that guarded Maura's lunch studies. Bobby's quiet presence was a little unnerving at first, but the artist often seemed to know when Maura became exacerbated by her company and needed to be left alone. That instinctive awareness was one of the things that Maura first loved about the shorter woman. Then she got to know Bobby, and wondered how the other students could ever believe the artist would hurt anyone. Maura only saw her friend become physical in anger once... But it was one time Bobby's reputation seemed justly earned.

-0-0-0-

The invite to the party seemed too good to be true. As an adult, Maura could look back and recognize the warning signs. But as a young woman, finally feeling included in the circle of her peers, Maura was overly anxious to join and be accepted. She never knew why Bobby was there. The other woman seemed to pop up at the oddest times in the most unexpected places. And for that Maura was eternally grateful when her date became a little too insistent. Lance was a senior on the lacrosse team, tall, golden, muscular and beautiful. She loved the attention he showed her, and the sex was usually good. But that night he was very drunk and the alcohol turned him mean. He herded her away from the main party into a little courtyard off the back of the house. No matter how much Maura protested, he kept pushing. If it wasn't for Bobby's sudden appearance, Maura knew she wouldn't have been able to fight him off.

_"She said no. No means No. Back off buddy."_

_Struggling to keep her shirt closed and Lance's hands from her crotch, Maura couldn't see who it was coming to her rescue. But she was grateful for the intrusion._

_Lance looked over his shoulder with a sneer. "Go mind your own business, you freaky little troll." Turning back to Maura, he shoved her hard against the fence and forced his tongue into her mouth, squeezing her breast hard enough to make her whimper in pain. "She likes it rough, dontcha sweetheart?"_

_"Lance, no. Not here. Not..."_

_An animal growl caught them both off guard. " !" The words were quiet, guttural and were enough to startle Lance into letting her go._

_Thrusting Maura onto the ground, the lacrosse player turned to face Bobby, shaking his head as though incredulous this short stump of a girl was still around. The shorter woman hadn't moved, but she fairly vibrated with anger. Pulling himself up to his full height, Lance belligerently stepped into her personal space, crowding her until she had to crane her neck back to continue staring him in the eyes. "Whatcha gonna do, ya fucking dyke? Draw a funny picture?"_

_Ignoring the larger man trying to intimidate her, Bobby swiftly side-stepped right, then left around him. While the drunk lacrosse player stumbled to turn in place, Bobby addressed Maura as if he wasn't there. "Isles, you need to go home. You don't deserve this."_

_"Maura, if you know what's good for you, you'll stay right where you're at!" Lance countered angrily, reaching out to shove Bobby aside._

_Several things happened simultaneously. Three of Lance's teammates pushed through the sliding glass door, laughing and obviously drunk; Bobby spun in place and did _something_ to create a sickening crunch that resounded throughout the courtyard; and Lance fell to the ground with a yowl of agony. _

_Everyone stopped in stunned silence. _

_"Bitch!" Looking up at his friends Lance shouted, "That bitch broke my wrist!"_

_Blue eyes zeroed in on the three newcomers as shocked looks turned into angry glares._

_The largest of the three surged towards Bobby with murderous eyes, but the smaller woman met him half-way and unceremoniously dropped him with a well placed kick._

_"Who's next?" she demanded, voice eerily calm._

_No one moved._

_Stalking up to the remaining two young men, Bobby snatched something from one, and demanded the shirt of the second. The guy pinned under her gaze peeled off his team jersey and handed it over without question. Bobby grabbed the shirt, helped Maura from the ground, stood guard while she pulled the shirt over her torn clothes, then took the med student's hand and led her towards the house._

_The whole thing took less than three minutes, but it was enough time for the remaining two lacrosse players to regain their courage. With thunderous looks, they moved to block the door to the house. _

_Bobby bared her teeth in a parody of a smile. A flick of her wrist opened the pocket knife she kept for sharpening her pencils. The blade was small, but hooked and wickedly sharp. __"You wanna dance?"_

_The nearest boy blanched, but stood his ground, then gradually gave way as Bobby bullied past, leading Maura back through the main party, then home to safety. _

-0-0-0-

The memory of what the first guy had in his hand still unsettled Maura. It was a camera. Lance's friends followed them into the courtyard with a video camera.

With a shaky sigh, Maura pushed the thought away, focusing instead on the here and now. That incident was a long time ago. She learned from her mistake and moved on, losing several false friends, but gaining one very amazing lover. The heat of remembered nights together burned away the last distasteful thought from Maura's mind, and heightened her awareness of the woman cradling her close.

After her bath, Bobby had dressed in a simple t-shirt and boxers. While the clothes weren't intrinsically revealing, they fit well enough to leave very little to the imagination. Maura skimmed her hand lightly down her old lover's stomach then slid under the t-shirt. The smooth skin under her fingers trembled slightly, but Bobby's breathing didn't change. She slept on. Turning her head into the other woman's neck, Maura slowly took a deep breath, inhaling the artist's scent. Clean skin, simple body lotion, and Maura's own shampoo. Nuzzling closer, she placed tiny kisses down Bobby's neck and along her collar-bone, while her hand slid upward to rest just under the other woman's small breast.

Abruptly hands roughly seized her wrist and hair painfully tight, forcing a gasp of startled pain from the doctor as she was bodily flipped onto her back. Looming over her, the redhead's blue eyes were dilated, teeth bared, a low warning growl echoed through the room. With the memory of what happened to Lance that night still fresh in her mind, the doctor felt a frisson of fear for the first time.

_"Bobby?"_ Forcing herself to relax, Maura whispered her friend's name, hoping to elicit recognition.

The artist blinked once, twice, then took a deep breath, recognition slowly creeping into her eyes. "Maura?" Blue eyes searched hazel, then seemed to realize their positions. Relaxing her hold, Bobby shook her head, clearly contrite at her reaction to the blond's advances. "Oh _shit_, Maur. _I'm so sorry_." Rising off the other woman, she cradled Maura's wrist between shaking hands, as infinitely gentle now as she was brutal mere moments before. "_Oh Holy crap, girlie-girl. _Please don't... You can't wake me like that anymore... _it's not safe_." Placing a light kiss on Maura's bruised wrist, Bobby surged up from the couch and began pacing.

Maura noted with some alarm Bobby's eyes were still slightly dilated and her hands were shaking. "Bobby, what's going on? Are you okay?"

The redhead pushed both hands through her short hair, taking a deep breath. "I'm..." Swallowing convulsively, Bobby paced a few more moments before finally forcing herself to stop and kneel at Maura's feet. "I'm getting better. But... there are still some things - _triggers _- that I can't control."

Alarmed, Maura captured her friend's hands and held them lightly. "What do you mean, triggers? What's going on? What happened to you?"

Blue eyes met hazel, then quickly dropped. Shaking her head, she shrugged. "It's just a little PTSD. Noth-"

"PTSD? Bobby! From What?!" Maura cupped her friend's face, tilting her chin up until Bobby met her eyes again.

"It doesn't matter anymore. The thing is, I'm not always _'here'_ when I wake up. So it's super important that you don't touch me when you try to wake me. Just... just call my name. Okay? Please, Maura? I need you to do this. I need to know it's _you _waking me. I need to know it's _safe_."

Deeply alarmed now, Maura stared at her friend in shock. "I don't understand. Bobby, in all our emails and phone conversations, you never once mentioned"

"Really?" Unexpectedly, the artist smiled. "Do you really think I would worry you with something like that? With something you couldn't fix?"

"I may have been able to help," Maura cried, anger slowly replacing her surprise. "Bobby, PTSD isn't something that just goes away without counseling or med-"

"I've been through counseling."

_"Stop Interrupting Me!"_ With an angry glare, Maura pushed up from the couch, forcing her friend to stand with her.

It was her turn to pace now, fingers twisting together in frustration. A dozen different scenarios ran through Maura's mind in quick succession. Events traumatic enough to affect her friend, each more awful than the last, were terrible to contemplate. Forcing such speculation from her mind, she fought the impulse to lecture, to share all the information she learned after Jane shot herself to save them all from Marino. Neither train of thought was helpful right now. Taking a deep breath, she tried to calm down enough to sound reasonable and followed the advice for helping loved ones with PTSD. "I just want to be there for you. I want to help."

"Baby, you _did_." Bobby husked, unshed tears threatening to spill down her cheeks. "You helped me _so much_." At Maura's look of confusion, Bobby hesitantly approached, slowly gathering the taller woman's hands between her own. "All those emails. All those phone calls..." The artist brought her hands to her lips, then held them against her cheek. With a shuddering breath, she admitted, "Just knowing you were safe - that I was able to at least help _someone_..."

Those last words, little more than a hoarse whisper, and the situation they implied, broke Maura's heart. Pulling Bobby into a tight embrace, she could feel the smaller woman violently trembling with emotions. Cradling her close, Maura placed a tender kiss on Bobby's temple and just held on as her friend fought to contain her emotions. Rocking slowly in place, she waited patiently, rubbing comforting circles across the artist's back until the tears were past.

Maura may not have known what it was that affected her friend so strongly, but the doctor was determined that Bobby would no longer have to face it alone.

* * *

**AN** ~ Getting into some subject matter that is kinda heavy. Although I have thankfully never suffered from PTSD, a member of my extended family does, and it's difficult to handle sometimes. I will never claim to be an expert on the subject. This story is just one point of view. Everyone is different and handles the issue in their own fashion.

Updated note ~ A few anonymous "guest" reviewers strongly objected to Maura being with an original character. One person asked for clarification. So...  
1. First and foremost, this is my story. If you don't like this one story, by all means find something better suited to your taste. It's a free world. Go explore.  
2. This is my first time publishing on 's interface. I am still getting the hang of the formatting and just learned how to update pairing information as requested.  
3. As stated in the first Author's Note, this is an AU = Alternate Universe. Characters will not act exactly the same as you expect from the show.  
4. Also stated in the first Author's Note, Rizzles is the endgame. Just because there is another love interest does not mean Jane and Maura will not be together.  
5. No, I won't give you spoilers. Like any other work of fiction out there, be it a movie, new television show, or written story, the audience has to have a little patience and keep an open mind to piece together the story as it happens. The joy of a story is the journey of discovering how everything pulls together.  
6. And lastly... I find it interested that some fans (both of fan fiction and the show) would rather see Maura alone than find happiness with someone she already loves and trusts. I was going to say more about that, but believe the characters will speak for themselves later in the story.


	6. Chapter 6

**AN **~ Just wanted to say, Thank You to those who are following this story. It makes me happy that folks are enjoying the ride.

TRIGGER ALERT - for violence

* * *

**Chapter 6**

Boston Public Gardens was beautiful this time of year. Maura's breath clouded slightly in the crisp fall air as she jogged down the well-groomed path. The misty predawn light barely filtered through the trees whose leaves were just starting to turn from gold to orange to red. While Maura's internal monologue cataloged the biological processes that cause this change, a part of her mind brought up the memory of Jane's responding eye roll yesterday when the doctor attempt to explain the process to her friend. She knew the detective listened, but felt it necessary to maintain a front of indifference. Playful or not, however, the doctor had to admit that sometimes it hurt to be constantly mocked by her friend.

As Maura's mind wandered, she was only peripherally aware of other people on the path. Several couples passed, but only one or two single joggers like herself. There were a few strangers, but Maura recognized most of them - the typical early morning group. Overall, it was a peaceful morning to run. She only wished Jane had decided to join her. Although the detective grumbled about it, she usually accompanied Maura on her Saturday route - only a deeply involved case tended to keep her away. But while Jane worked especially hard to clear her case load so she would be free for this holiday weekend, she texted an excuse this morning, stating she had errands to run.

_'She hadn't mentioned errands before,'_ Maura thought. Then frowned, realizing the probable reason for Jane's absence. _'Of course, that was before Bobby showed up.'_

Bobby.

Last night's revelation had been startling, and emotionally exhausting. Maura would have asked her to join the run this morning, but the other woman looked so peaceful, she hadn't the heart to wake her.

Maura sighed, wondering if inviting her old lover to meet her Boston PD family was such a good idea. Up until this point, she'd kept her sexual orientation fairly discrete, and her choice of dates conventional. While Massachusetts was one of the first states to accept same-sex relationships and marriage, Boston PD was still comprised of very conservative people. While personally, Maura could not understand the baseless aversion many people held for sex outside the binary norm, she was respectful of other's views and kept her opinions on the subject out of the work environment.

Her first year as Chief Medical Examiner, Maura quietly tried to date women, but the relationships never lasted more than a month. Either her dates were interested in a purely physical relationship, or their evenings out eventually became stilted and uncomfortable as they tried to find something more than fashion to discuss.

Then she met Jane Rizzoli. The tall, boisterous, brash, and brave brunette swept into her life and stepped neatly into her heart without so much as a by-your-leave.

Maura grinned at her descriptive alliteration. But the grin softened into a gentle smile as warmth filled her at thoughts of the detective. Jane's unreserved friendship meant everything to the doctor. Only a precious handful of people in her life had so totally accepted Maura - quirks and all - and she tended to fall in love with each and every one of them. While Jane never gave any indication she might come to love Maura in quite the same way, the doctor was, for the most part, quite content. She believed the amount of love and affection she received from Jane's platonic friendship was more than enough compensation for any lack in their physical relations.

Then, when Jane's family practically adopted her as one of their own, Maura's heart swelled and she finally felt as though she found a place where she belonged. The Rizzoli's trademark boisterous, argumentative, physical style of interacting was initially alarming to Maura's conservative sensibilities. But no matter how diametrically opposite they were to her own family, the Rizzoli's warm, unreserved acceptance of her filled a void in her life she didn't realize existed until it was replete. Their willingness to look beyond her eccentricity led her to believe they would be open to this side of her as well.

But after Jane's reaction to Bobby last night, and her seeming avoidance this morning, Maura feared she may have misjudged.

_'I've made quite a few misjudgments lately,'_ she thought sadly.

Considering her feelings for Jane, becoming emotionally involved with someone - man or woman - was complicated. However, the doctor was a mature adult woman at the peak of her sexual cycle. Since becoming friends with Jane, Maura tended to date merely for the physical benefits. For that type of casual relationship, men were ideal. With few exceptions, both parties understood the limits of their time together, and both usually walked away satisfied. No one thought twice about her dating men.

_'Well... not until they turned out to be criminals or serial killers,'_ she thought with a pang of regret. The pain of her last two attempts at dating was still fresh in her mind.

Only Jane's friendship kept her going. If she lost Jane too...

Distracted by her thoughts, it took Maura a moment to register the sound of rustling leaves and half-dozen pounding footsteps. She just had time to become concerned before - _**"OOF!"**_ the wind was suddenly knocked out of her and her world dissolved into fragmented impressions.

_Pressure on her mouth -_

_Disorientation as she was lifted, then thrown -_

_Pain as she landed on sharp branches -_

Maura managed to roll out of the bush and caught a glimpse of a man looming close, glint of metal at his side.

_A knife? A gun?_

She rolled again, struggling to evade grabbing hands while catching enough breath to scream before weight landed across her stomach, forcing the air out of her again. Pain exploded across her face and her vision swam with dizzy stars.

Dazed and half blinded, she heard another shout, a loud curse, then she was suddenly free of the weight. The furious crackle of leaves and breaking branches, grunts of pain, animal growls, and meaty sounds of fists striking flesh were loud in the early morning air.

Catching her breath, Maura felt an overwhelming panic. _She had to get away! Get back to the path! Call Jane! The police! Find help before her attacker won free and came back for her!_

Attempting to scramble to her feet, she felt a sickening crunch in her ankle as pain lanced up her leg. Nearly sick with fear and agony Maura managed to pull herself away from the two combatants to the far side of a large tree. Still struggling to blink her vision into focus, the doctor patted her pockets furiously, trying to find her cell phone and simultaneously to calm her stuttering breath and pounding heart. Another swell of panic threatened to overwhelm her when a final angry shout sounded directly behind her and the sound of running feet rushed past.

_"Arrraaaahhhhh! **FUCKER!**"_

The raw roar of anger froze Maura in place for two seconds before instinct pushed her to motion. Behind her, she could hear the soft rustle of leaves, a quiet, but no less adamant, _"GNAH"_ of pain, then the sound of panting breath and heavy tread of footsteps. The renewed pursuit fueled her fear, spurring her to crawl, hands and knees, as far up the path as fast as she could. _Someone had to have heard the altercation! Someone else had to be on the path!_

Sweat and blood and terror half blinding her, Maura blinked furiously, trying to clear her vision as a warm hand grabbed her shoulder! _**"NO! GETAWAYLEAVEMEALONE!"**_ As the figure loomed in her way, she rolled defensively onto her back, blindly kicking and punching.

_"Sshhhh! It's okay, girlie-girl. I gotcha. He's gone…"_ The panting, familiar sing-song of Bobby's voice sent a wave of relief through Maura so strong she nearly passed out. When familiar arms gathered her close, she latched on for dear life.

"Bobby! He came out of no where. He just _threw me... like I was nothing._"

"I know. I saw. It's okay now. You're safe. I found ya... _Thank god I found ya._" Bobby's soft crooning continued until Maura calmed down. After a few minutes the artist gently held her at arm's length, trying to assess the damage. "_Geezus_ your face is bleeding. How badly did he hurt you?"

Mentally trying to marshal her thoughts - to calm down and take stock of what actually hurt - Maura took several deep breaths to center herself and analyzed her situation. Her hands and knees were a mess from crawling across the gravel path. "Minor abrasions…" Ribs, arm and back were certainly bruised, "Contusions from falling into the brush..." Her face throbbed and her fingers came away covered in blood, but head wounds always bled the worst. She could feel a small cut on her eyebrow, "Eyebrow laceration. I'll have a black eye and a headache by mid-day … It hurts, but is a superficial wound…" Her ankle, though, throbbed insistently with pain. She would need an x-ray or possibly CT scan to be certain, but it felt as though something was brok-

**"MAURA!"**

The sound of Jane's frantic voice and pounding feet interrupted Maura's catalog of pain.

"JANE?!"

Like one of her best friend's baseball heroes, Jane's lanky form slid to a stop at her side, roughly pushing Bobby back. "DONTYOUFUKINTOUCHER! ... Maur, you alright?" Hands gently ghosted over Maura while Jane furiously demanded over her shoulder, "What's going on? What the hell happened!?"

"JANE!"/"A mugger."

Both Maura and Bobby's simultaneous responses seemed to rattle Jane at first, but she quickly marshaled and really assessed the situation. While bleeding from a cut on her brow, Maura seemed relatively calm, though clearly shaken. Maura's friend was half-sprawled back on her elbows where she'd fallen when knocked away, clothes covered in leaves and twigs, copper hair disheveled, split lip bleeding, clearly still winded.

Blue eyes met hers warily. "Sorry, I couldn't keep hold of him. He ran off down the path."

"Describe him!"

Bobby closed her eyes and recited a description.

Jane hesitated only long enough to assess their surroundings. People were starting to stop and stare along the path. Seeming to decide Maura would be safe enough until she could return, she turned back to Bobby. "Alright. Stay here," she demanded of the artist. Pointing to a bystander that just wandered up, she demanded, "Do you have a cell phone?!" At the nodded affirmative, she told him to call 911. "Tell them Officer Down and demand an ambulance!" Looking at Maura she reassured her friend she'd be right back, then took off down the path, hell-bent on catching the bad guy.

Maura watched her friend disappear and a noted the small number of bystanders gathered along the path. Suddenly, the combined chill of the morning and pain from half-dozen injuries seemed to settle into focus and she found herself shaking uncontrollably. _'Possible shock due to trauma'_ she diagnosed, then startled as the warmth of Bobby's sweatshirt settled over her shoulders. "Thank you," she said, barely able to get out more than a whisper. The artist settled next to her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders to hold her tight. The black t-shirt the other woman slept in last night barely seemed adequate for the crisp morning air, but Bobby was always better able to handle the cold than Maura. The doctor was glad for the sweatshirt and shared body warmth.

The voice of the older gentleman on the phone with the 911 operator broke through her thoughts. _Jane!_ _Jane went running after the man who attacked her alone!_ Motioning to capture the gentleman's attention, she demanded, "Tell the operator Jane - _Detective Rizzoli _is in pursuit of the suspect …"

The gentleman gave her an odd look, but supplied the information as requested.

"And she'll need backup … and possibly an ambulance …" Maura interrupted again, then subsided when, with an amused smile, the older man simply held the phone out to her. _'Of course. It would be easier for me to explain than for someone else to relay the information,' _Maura thought. Accepting the phone, she informed the 911 operator her name, position at the Boston PD and their location, and injuries.

She was about to hand the phone back to the gentleman when she noticed the woman at her side seemed to have trouble sitting upright. Maura's clinical side observed her already fair-skinned friend had grown steadily more pale, kept one hand clutched tightly to her side, and seemed to be having issues catching her breath. Suddenly Maura's eye spotted the wet glint against the dark t-shirt and she realized how badly Bobby was injured. "We need an ambulance for two," she concluded, then absently handed the phone back to the older gentleman so she could examine the other woman.

Memories of the flash of metal in her attacker's hand resolved into the shape of a knife. Maura gently pried Bobby's hand from her side. "You've been stabbed or cut," she observed.

Blinking - seeming surprised by the revelation - the artist looked down at her side. "Well shit." Absently pulling open the neatly sliced hole in her shirt she managed a huffing laugh. "Na. It's just a scratch." Raising her hand to find it covered in blood, she grimaced comically, muttering, "I've always wanted to say that." Then she slowly laid back in the leaves, panting slightly. "Okay. Just a little dizzy now. I'm gonna lay here a minute and catch my breath."

The need for action allowed Maura to throw off the effects of her own attack. Bundling up the sweatshirt to use as a pillow, she put it under the other woman's head as the sound of sirens slowly grew in the background. Gingerly, she lifted Bobby's t-shirt. The long, clean slice along her ribs looked deep, but Maura was relieved to note there was no evidence of a puncture. Stabbings were notoriously fatal. It didn't surprise her Bobby didn't notice the wound; adrenalin would have kept her going until now, but blood loss was finally taking its toll. She needed to stop the bleeding.

Looking at the growing crowd around them, Maura held compression to the wound. "Does anyone have something that might be used as a bandage? A-a-a towel, handkerchief, feminine pad, anything?"

A well-built young man from the growing crowd hesitantly approached, offering a pair of rolled up socks. She noted his gym bag as he shrugged and said, "They're clean. Honest." A discreet sniff detected nothing but laundry detergent, so she gratefully accepted and used it to apply pressure and help stop the bleeding. "Thank you."

An odd trembling started under Maura's hands, alarming her until she saw the pained grin on Bobby's face and realized she was silently laughing.

"Socks?" Her friend chuckled. "You're applying pressure with socks? What, nobody had a maxi-pad?"

Sensing the question was not only rhetorical, but also said with something of black humor, Maura could only shrug and offer a half-smile.

Still grinning the woman on the ground stated with exaggerated sigh, "Well THIS sucks." Then promptly passed out.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

The station was quiet this late in the evening.

_'Just what the hell were you thinking!?'_

Jane stared at the sketch she held in her hand, glanced at the half dozen others scattered across her desk, while the memory of Maura's angry words rang in her head over and over again.

_'Just what did you think she was going to do to me, Jane?'_

The sketch she held was rendered as a standard mug-shot: right-profile and front-face. It was the sketch that brought a shit-ton of red flags up on her suspect as soon as she ran it through the NCIC facial recognition software.

_'What? Did you believe just because Bobby is a lesbian, she would... would... attack me?!'_

The man was hispanic, short military haircut, large dark eyes, thin angular nose, full lips, square-shaped face. Had Jane passed him on the street, she might have considered him attractive. With a disgusted sigh, Jane threw the sketch on the desk with the others and ran a hand across her face and up through her hair. The other sheets of sketches were filled with the same man snarling, yelling, scowling, jeering, and generally looking pissed. A gamut of facial emotions one might see when fighting off a killer.

_'She SAVED me, Jane! If Bobby hadn't come looking for me... if she hadn't been there...'_

The suspect was La Sombra, or, _'The Shadow'_ in Spanish. Also known as Roberto Espina. Carlos Oso's enforcer and all around fun guy to know. The guy had a rap sheet longer than she was tall. Petty larcenies, car thefts, possession and distribution were the least of his crimes. Arrested for assault and battery a score of times, and lead suspect in at least seven murders, and three rapes...

_'... if Bobby hadn't come looking for me...'_

Jane's heart clenched at the terrified, angry tone of Maura's recrimination. At the truth behind them. Closing her eyes, she rested her head against her hands, peering through her fingers once more at the sketches, but not really seeing them. Trying not to think about the fall-out of this morning, while remembering every moment.

The truth was, she didn't know _what_ she was thinking when she barreled into Bobby this morning. All she knew was when Angela's call woke her this morning, shouting that Maura may be in danger, the detective's protective instincts kicked her into overdrive. Maura only lived a couple of miles away, an easy run. But time was of the essence - she drove to the park, thankful that most of Boston was still asleep at the ungodly hour Maura liked to go jogging. By the time Jane got to the park, her cop's brain had conjured a dozen different scenarios. Running down the path Maura loved the most, when she finally saw the artist hovering over the obviously distraught doctor, Jane's vision turned red.

_'Maura may be in danger!'_ With her mother's frantic voice echoing in her ear, an intense feeling of rage overcame Jane at the sight of Maura huddled over, bruised and disheveled, leaving no doubt the redhead gripping her shoulders was to blame. Her mind blanked to anything beyond **_protect Maura_**! The thought of anyone harming her friend - **_Her_** friend - **_Her best_ _friend _**- even now it made her blood boil.

But of course Bobby wasn't the one that attacked Maura.

The quicksilver anger that flashed through her now while sitting at her desk instantly cooled to doubt, then fear at the thought of losing her best friend over such a stupid, stupid mistake. By the time she made it back to the path where she'd left the women, EMTs were on site. Jane was surprised to see them loading Bobby, and not Maura onto a stretcher while the doctor stood to one side, blood on her hands and fear in her eyes. When she spotted Jane, the relief in her eyes was quickly replaced with anger.

_'Maura?' _

_'They are taking her to Boston General. I will come by the station to file a report when we're released,' Maura stated, then raised a red hand to forestall any further questions. 'Don't. Not now. I'm...'_

_'Maura, what the hell?'_

The short blond whirled on her, eyes narrowed and fists clinched in fury.

_'Just what the hell were you thinking!?'_

Not understanding at first, Jane thought Maura was angry that she ran after the suspect without backup.

_'Just what did you think she was doing to me, Jane?'_

With a clarity that made the pit of her stomach ache, Jane realized what she'd done and how badly she may have screwed up.

_'What? Did you believe just because Bobby is a lesbian she would... would... attack me?!'_

The detective didn't know what to say. Couldn't find the words to explain how she felt seeing Maura lying there, hurt. Didn't know how to correct the misconception she'd created by roughly shoving Bobby aside, accusing the other woman of hurting her friend. Wished desperately to take it all back, because the implications were too awful to face. In a flash, she could see how Maura's big brain would relate her over-reaction to Bobby as an indication how Jane felt about homosexuality and by extension, Maura herself.

_'Because __**I'm **__a lesbian, Jane. Or at least bi. Do you think just because I'm attracted to women, I'd just - just - randomly attack another woman? Attack **you**?'_

_'Maur, NO! I...'_

_'She SAVED me, Jane! If Bobby hadn't come looking for me... if she hadn't been there...'_

Jane felt her heart sink as the hurt and anger grew in Maura's hazel eyes.

_'... if Bobby hadn't come looking for me...'_

_'I didn't mean-'_

_'No!' _ The finger Maura jabbed in her direction was like a stab to her heart. _'Save it, Jane. This is not okay. You don't get to act like that and then say you didn't mean it. And until you can act civil, instead of like a - a - a neanderthal, I don't want to speak with you.'_

She tried once more to talk to the doctor, but her friend was too angry to do more than glare, and Jane knew not to press her luck.

Instead, after watching Maura climb into the back of the ambulance with the redhead, Jane cordoned off the crime scene, canvased the area, talked to the officers on duty, found a footprint impression, and generally made a nuisance of herself at the site until the VCU detectives had to tell her to take a walk in no uncertain terms. Reluctantly, she returned to the bullpen to report to Cavannauh what happened and try to find some way to be useful. By mid afternoon, Frankie came by her desk, grim faced and apologetic when he handed over the large envelope addressed to her.

_'Maura called and asked me to bring this to you. Geezus, Janie, you really pissed off the doc. What the hell happened out there?'_

Jane merely glared, snatching the envelope from his hands to spill the contents across her desk.

_'Wow. Damn, these are good,' _Frankie enthused over the sketches while Jane read the short letter written in Maura's elegant script.

_'... While I did not see my attacker, Bobby was able to produce these sketches of the suspect. If he has a record, these should be sufficient to trigger a match via facial recognition. My written statement is included. I shall deliver a formal statement to the Violent Crimes Unit detective this afternoon. ...'_

Frankie wasn't exaggerating. The sketches were damned good. And once scanned into the system, they lit up the FBI's National Crime Information Center facial recognition program like a fucking christmas tree. The file she finally compiled for La Sombra/Espina was almost as thick as Carlos Oso's, but scarier. Oso may have been a greedy, manipulative drug dealing scumbag, but he could never be tied directly to another person's murder. Espina, on the other hand, apparently killed and tortured for fun and profit. The NCIC profile labeled the man a classic sociopath with sadistic tendencies. Jane immediately tried to get Maura to go into protective custody, but the stubborn woman refused.

_'If I run and hide every time one of Paddy Doyle's enemies thinks I'm an easy target, I'll forever be a victim. I refuse to live the rest of my life in fear just because the man who fathered me is a criminal. I have an excellent security system at home. I am sure we will be perfectly safe there until this individual can be apprehended.'_

Jane wanted to tear her hair out in frustration.

She also wanted to know how it was that Maura's friend, who was supposedly _just_ a sketch artist, was able to fight-off someone with Espina's deadly reputation. If even half the file in the NCIC was correct, by all rights both Maura and Bobby should have been on a slab down in the morgue right now, instead of recovering back at the doc's home.

So Jane did a little more digging. Initial background checks on Bobby came back clean. She was a model fucking citizen. Not so much as a parking ticket. But there was more than one way to find information about a person. Eventually, it was the financial and employment history that provided the most leads. And when she found the background checks from Bobby's time with the DOD, it painted a different picture than the 'wandering artist' the redhead pretended to be.

Oh, she was an artist, alright, as evidenced by the drawings spread across Jane's desk. And as she'd said when they first met, she really had worked for several law enforcement agencies across the country at one time or another. Her employment record showed her working steadily from coast to coast for the past three years. But it was _who_ she worked for before that, and the odd gap between that job and her cross-country employment tour, that made Jane sit up and take notice.

_BLACKWATER, defense contractor, US Defense Department, United States Army, Oct 1998 - Feb 2008. Iraq, Afghanistan._

Damn. Well, that would certainly explain how she could fight off a drug lord's hired muscle - the self defense training that company put its people through was legendary. But what the hell would an artist be doing for a US defense contractor for ten years in a war zone? Drawing cartoons of Uncle Sam for troop morale? Not very likely.

Digging through the records, however, didn't provide a better answer, which was frustrating to no end. Bobby's exact job for Blackwater was sealed. All Jane could find was a rough timeline, no real details. It appeared after her stint with the infamous private security firm, Bobby returned to the US after February 2008. But after that... she disappeared. There wasn't a single record from that time she could access. Searching through financial statements, Jane found a steady, though paltry income being deposited to the artist's account through the remainder of 2008 until January 2009, but then it too dried up and disappeared. Absolutely nothing from February 2009 through June 2011. Then, in July 2011, she popped back into the system when she was hired by the Charlotte, NC police department, and worked there for six months. Then began the first in a series of moves with a fairly consistent paper trail. Work three to four months in a location, then move. Work another three or four months, then move again. For the last three years, Bobby never stayed in one place longer than four months, addresses always a string of PO boxes.

For the better part of her afternoon and on through the evening, Jane continued to follow the paper trail, trying to get past the endless string of PO box addresses, trying to find the reason for those missing years. She also wanted to know how someone who dropped so completely off the grid was still able to gain employment with local law enforcement. It just didn't make sense.

Until...

Jane sat back in her seat, totally stunned when she finally found what she was looking for.

Wait...

What the actual...

Really?

Not sure if she should be pissed or grateful, Jane debated with herself for several minutes before finally deciding she really needed to know what the actual fuck was going on. Grabbing her cell phone, Jane called the one person she never would have suspected in a million years of having the answers she needed.

She dialed Mrs. Constance Isles.

* * *

**AN **- Just wanted to say, thank you to everyone who has added this story to their favorites list. I'm really glad other people are enjoying this. The story should start to pick up a bit more from now on. There is still some major background story to cover, but I think our villains are a little frustrated and likely to be back sooner rather than later.


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